The Vienna Woods are bounded by the rivers Triesting, Gölsen, Traisen and Danube, and are on the border of the Mostviertel and the Industrieviertel, two of the four quarters of Lower Austria.

[2] The highest elevation in the Vienna Woods is Schöpfl at 893 metres (2,930 ft) above sea level, the location of the Leopold Figl observatory.

The Lainzer Tiergarten, an extensive park populated by wild boar and other woodland animals, as well as the Schwarzenbergpark, were created on the territory of the city of Vienna during the 19th century.

Under the influence of the Avars, a Slavic population settled here after the Völkerwanderung, which may account for village names such as Döbling, Liesing or Gablitz.

In 1870, plans were brought forward to clear most of the forest, but this caused widespread public resistance, in which Josef Schöffel was one of the most important figures.